On the deck, the crowd parted to make space, watching Kiku who was roaring incessantly in the center.
Caesar stood closest, able to clearly sense the earth-shaking changes taking place in Kiku's body.
The first thing to change was Kiku's vitality.
Previously, Kiku's physical strength could only be considered average.
Even among the Red Scabbards, it was below mid-tier.
But now, with the Evolution Potion ingested, the surging waves of vitality began to be pumped throughout Kiku's body by the pounding heart.
Muscles, skin, bones, and tendons—all began to grow wildly under the stimulation of the potion!
"Ahhhh!"
Suddenly, Kiku clenched both fists and cried out in pain.
Her delicate, womanly face remained unchanged, but her slender frame began to inflate like a balloon, rapidly expanding.
Crack, crack.
The sound of bones growing emitted a grating crispness as Kiku visibly grew taller before everyone's eyes.
Her original height of less than three meters soared to over five meters before stopping.
Her once slender body was now bulging with muscles.
Countless tendons twisted together, bursting through the robe she wore—her pectoral muscles so large they would make most women feel ashamed beyond words.
Hiyori, Ulti, and the others were all dumbstruck, staring in a daze at Kiku's drastically transformed physique.
When Kiku's transformation finally ceased, she stood at a height of five and a half meters, her entire body rippling with muscles, her arms thick and powerful, her thighs thicker than Shiki's waist.
The only thing that remained unchanged was her face—still as pitifully beautiful and moving as ever, causing Indigo's dick to cramp up.
'Damn it! An angel's face, a devil's body—but not a succubus's figure, rather that of a molten rock demon!'
'So fucking terrifying!'
Caesar looked Kiku up and down and laughed, "So, how do you feel?"
Kiku smiled gently, her smile was breathtakingly beautiful and utterly captivating.
But the muscles bulging with veins all over her body gave off an intensely shocking impact.
"My lord, I feel excellent. Now, I finally have some strength to protect this country. This body is many times stronger than my weak former self."
Caesar nodded with great satisfaction, then laughed heartily as he turned to Indigo.
"Excellent! Borororo, fantastic! Indigo, I sincerely invite you to join my Beast God Pirates as the chief scientist. I will provide you with any materials you desire!"
Shiki flew into a rage, levitating off the ground, glaring fiercely at Caesar and pointing at his nose while cursing.
"Bastard! How dare you try to poach my subordinate right in front of me? Let's duel, Caesar!"
"Stop fooling around, Jiji. At your age, you're already halfway into the grave—surely you're not still thinking about continuing research, are you? How many more decades do you have left? I'm feeling generous—why don't you just come to my Beast God Pirates and live out your retirement in peace?"
Caesar rolled his eyes and retorted irritably.
Shiki instantly deflated like a punctured balloon.
He plopped down on the deck, sullenly eating roasted meat, but suddenly found that the delicious meat now tasted as bland as wax, dry and unappetizing.
Seeing Shiki occasionally sneaking glances at him with an expression like a bullied young wife, Caesar feigned confusion.
"Why are you staring at me?"
"Hehehe, Caesar, it's been decades since we last met, and my body isn't what it used to be. Especially this old rheumatism in my legs and this head of mine—when it's cloudy or rainy, it hurts like hell. What do you think?"
Shiki couldn't hold back any longer and chuckled as he spoke to Caesar.
Caesar raised an eyebrow and replied dryly, "Oh. If you're not feeling well, go see a doctor. The doctors in my Totoland aren't great. I'll find you some from elsewhere when I have the chance. Oh, right, there's a young doctor in Boro Town who's pretty good. I'll have him cut you open later to check your condition."
Shiki was so infuriated by Caesar's indifferent tone that his mouth twisted in anger.
Immediately, he jumped up, no longer hiding his intentions, and shouted.
"Stop pretending, damn it! I'll be straight with you—use your blood to heal my head and legs!"
"Oh? Why should I heal you? My blood is extremely precious!"
Caesar grinned, revealing a mocking smile.
"Precious, my ass! Don't think I don't know, you bastard. With your Kunpeng Fruit and your Oni tribe bloodline complementing each other, your essence blood is practically limitless. You just said you could supply Indigo with an endless amount!"
Shiki's face was full of rage.
Caesar chuckled and shrugged, "Indigo can help me develop the Evolution Potion. What can you do? How about this—I won't ask for much. Just call me 'Daddy,' and I'll heal you for free."
"Get lost!"
Caesar stopped smiling and ceased teasing Shiki.
He had always intended to heal Shiki.
The moment he saw Shiki's aged appearance, Caesar could sense that this once-ambitious man was now suffering a miserable old age due to his injuries and illnesses.
And that was something Caesar didn't want to see.
Just as he had told Shiki earlier, they had witnessed each other at their peak and didn't want to die in mediocrity and misery.
For example, if possible, Caesar would rather have Newgate die by his hand.
Just as Caesar was about to speak and offer to heal Shiki, he noticed Shiki deep in thought, as if he had made a firm decision.
Shiki took a deep breath and said seriously, "Caesar, I know your ambitions are vast. You probably want to follow in Rocks' footsteps, rule this world, and become the King of the World!"
"Here's the deal: heal my injuries, and this old life of mine is yours. The entire Flying Pirates will join your ranks today!"
"My goal is to destroy the World Government, and you want to be the King of the World. Our objectives don't conflict. Sooner or later, you'll clash with the World Government. So, I'll join your Beast God Pirates!"
Caesar stood up, a brilliant smile spreading across his face, and opened his arms with a hearty laugh:
"BORORORORO! What are you talking about? Shiki, what's our relationship? Even if you don't pledge your life to me, I'd still heal you!"
Shiki, "Really? Then I won't join."
Caesar wrapped an arm around his neck, nearly choking him, and cackled strangely.
"Hehe, too late! A gentleman's word is as good as his bond—how can you go back on it now? Since you've come down, where else would you go but with me? Ganzui, Linlin, and Kaido all miss you dearly."
Shiki curled his lips.
Truthfully, Shiki never doubted whether Caesar would heal him.
But he couldn't accept such an enormous favor without giving something in return.
In the seas of the New World, there weren't many old acquaintances left from their era.
Rocks, Roger, and Newgate were all dead.
Now, within the Beast God Pirates, there were several old comrades like Caesar.
Most importantly, Shiki had always been on good terms with Caesar and the others, with no bad blood between them.
Thus, Shiki decided to join the Beast God Pirates!